Many UK households are struggling to make ends meet as we head into the New Year. There are ways you could get yourselves some cash with some schemes that are currently available.
The Bank of England has shared that UK households lose £740 on average every Christmas by overspending. There is help at hand as people are trying to make the pennies stretch further during this time of year. UK households can get free cash worth more than £2,000.
With several schemes from charities and the Government, people can get free cash and vouchers to help them. As reported by Birmingham Live, below is a list of what is available for you.
Read More: DWP Universal Credit, PIP changes and more ahead of the new year
Household Support Fund - £300
More than £400 million was allocated to the national fund by the Government in October.
Those who are eligible will be able to apply for help towards essential living costs from the Household Support Fund, which has now been extended until the end of March. The money will be allocated by local authorities, who are also responsible for deciding which residents are eligible for help from the fund.
Winter Fuel Payment - up to £600
Those who are born before September 26, 1956, might be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment of between £250 and £600 to help them pay their heating bills. Those who are eligible but still waiting for the money to arrive in their account should receive it by January, as payments are continuing into the new year, the DWP has confirmed. If it hasn't been received by Friday, January 13, 2023, the DWP advises contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre online or by calling 0800 731 0160.
Energy cost of living payments - £67
The £400 discount on energy bills is being paid to consumers in six monthly installments over winter. It began in October and the grants are administered through energy suppliers, without any need to apply.
The discount will start with installments of £66 in October and November, rising to £67 per month from December until March 2023.
Healthy Start
The Healthy Start scheme gives prepaid food cards to families and pregnant women on a low income with at least one child under the age of four, to buy milk, fruit, vegetables, instant formula, tinned pulses and some multivitamins.
If eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it which can be used for most shops that accept Mastercard including supermarkets, convenience stores, markets and newsagents.
You get £4.25 each week on your Healthy Start card from the tenth week of pregnancy. You then get £8.50 each week for children from birth to one-year old, and £4.25 each week for children between the age of and four years old.
The money will stay on the card for around 16 weeks. To be eligible, you will typically need to be on certain benefits such as Universal Credit, Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Cold Weather Payment - £25
Cold Weather Payments were reintroduced on November 1 and will run until March 31, 2023. Each payment is worth £25 and is handed out to eligible households when the temperature falls to zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days in an area.
The Government uses weather stations in England and Wales to determine when a Cold Weather Payment has been triggered. Most people on low incomes who receive certain benefits will receive the cash automatically.
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